1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of home video entertainment and more particularly it relates to systems for controlling the viewing of television programs, by controlling the operations of television receivers and associated equipment, such as but not confined to cable converters ("cable boxes"), satellite converters ("satellite boxes"), VCRs and video games.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
It has become increasingly important to mechanically control, on an ongoing basis, the television and video viewing activities of children, especially at times when personal parental supervision cannot be provided. Ideally, parents and children should agree upon ground rules regarding the channels that the children can watch, the permitted viewing times, and the total viewing time permitted each day, week or month. However, even with such agreement, effective management and enforcement are difficult, especially for busy working parents.
Programmable television receiver controllers for limiting television viewing were disclosed by J. N. Jackson in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,081,754 and 4,228,543 wherein a digital control clock selects stored instructions regarding selection or blocking of television channels at specified time intervals presettable in half-hour steps throughout a predetermined time period, such as a one week. The '754 patent discloses and claims random access memory means, control and data lines, clock means, control meaner first and second program means and channel selection entry means. The '543 patent discloses and claims random access memory means, storing means, read means and control means for controlling a television receiver according to data read from the memory means.
One group of U.S. patents teach the control of viewing time, without selective restriction on specific television channels. This group of patents include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,060,079 and 4,345,696 to Beierto Rufus-Isaacs. These patents disclose monitoring or recording viewing time, up to a total time allotment, and display the permitted remaining viewing time. Another group, exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,168,372 and 5,051,837 to Sweetset and McJunkin, respectively, allows selection of time periods allowable for television viewing. Optionally, in these disclosures, different viewers may be identified and assigned different customized time allotments for television viewing. Yet another group of U.S. patents, e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,107 to Hayes, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,053,884 to Kamijyo, discloses controlling the channels viewed without restriction on day or total viewing time.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,623 to Bonneau et al for a TELEVISION CHANNEL LOCKOUT teaches user inputting a non-volatile memory for inhibiting viewing of selected channels for a predetermined period of time, but utilizes only a conventional alpha-numeric display device.
There is an unfilled need for a viewing controller system that allows the parent comprehensive and user-friendly control for programming selected channels and permitted viewing times for a predetermined future time period. e.g. the coming week, with a display capability that provides a graphical display showing the channel/permitted viewing time relationship.